Avenger of Blood
by Aggie Escott
Summary: The team are called in to help after some vigilante killings.
1. The Basement

**A/N A special thanks to PanicButton for the bunnie**

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 1  
The basement

_**"We praise a man who feels angry on the right grounds and against the right persons and also in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time." - Aristotle**_

It had been dark when Aaron left the office the night before. There were no cases, but he hated his apartment – so cold and impersonal. He preferred to stay working, even when there was no work to do, he studied.

There were no cases at the moment, although there had been some across JJ's desk, none of them were suitable for the BAU.

Hotch didn't get bored. There was always something new to learn, new barriers to cross. In the eyes of many police officers, profiling was still a child, and he worked to make it grow up in the eyes of those alongside whom he fought crime.

There was still a pile of books on the coffee table from last night, and an empty glass that had once held scotch. He would have liked another, but it was certainly not the right time of day to start drinking.

He took the glass to the kitchenette and washed it up. He left it to drain on the sink, and went to put the books away. Some he would take back to his office and read tonight, the rest stayed at home.

Such as it was.........

He took the lift down to the basement where his car was parked. There were about fifteen cars parked down there in addition to his own. All those people, and he didn't know any of them. It had been so different with the house. He knew his neighbours, at least to say hello to. These people he wouldn't recognise in the street.

He unlocked his car and got in, throwing the bag of books over into the back.

The drive to work wasn't a long one. That was one of the reasons he chose this particular apartment. He liked to get into work first.

He was surprised therefore to see JJ's car already in the car park when he arrived. Instead of going straight to his office, he went to JJ's.

Her door was always open literally and figuratively, and Hotch leaned in and knocked. She looked up from the file she was studying.

'I think we have a case.' she said. 'They requested our assistance last week, but I got a telephone call to say the case was solved. But then something happened to blow it wide open again, and this time, I think we are definitely needed.'

'It sounds interesting.' Hotch said, and JJ held out the file for him to look at. He quickly glanced through the pages in the file, and handed it back to JJ. 'As soon as the others are here, we'll meet in the conference room. I think you are right. We are needed here.'

-0-0-0-

Within fifteen minutes, the team was seated around the table. JJ had made copies of the file for each team member, and was standing by the video screen.

'This case involves a vigilante who was murdering men who had been accused of rape, which the courts found not guilty. He killed five men, and the local PD asked for our help last week. Before I got to the file, though, I had a telephone call to say that they had caught the man responsible, and he committed suicide by cop. They thought that the case was all wrapped up, when another man was shot the day after being found not guilty of rape by the courts. They thought we would be able to help them.'

'How do we know that this isn't a copy cat?' Emily asked.

'Or even a co incidence.' said Morgan.

'There were certain things not released to the press, and only the killer would have known.' JJ replied. 'For example, he took a souvenir of a lock of hair. That was never made public.'

'So there was more than one of them.' Dave observed. 'Interesting Case.'

Wheels up in ten.' Hotch said. 'we can discuss it more on the plane.'

-0-0-0-

It was a relatively long flight, and there was time to get the crime scene photo's out and study them. The latest victim was thirty eight year old Brian Fletcher. He had been accused of rape after the girl he was with remembered that she had a jealous fiancé. The courts found him not guilty, but the next day he was shot execution style in his home. He was found by his daughter, eighteen year old Lorna.

'She called the police and they called us.' JJ said.

'What about the suicide by cop? How much do we know about that?' Dave asked.

'Not much.' JJ said. 'Except it was a good shoot. The kid was armed.'

'Kid?' Hotch said.

'Yes. He was only about twenty. He's not been identified, but he was found with the gun that killed the other victims on a routine car check.

'Same as Bundy.' Reid said. 'It was pure luck that he was caught.'

'Twenty is a bit young to be a serial killer.' Hotch said. 'It goes against the profile. The killer would normally be in his thirties at least.'

'Like a father and son team.' morgan said. 'It's happened before.'

Reid treated them to a list of father son killing teams.

'Thank you Reid.' Hotch said with a hint of a smile. 'et's get some rest, now. It might be a while before we can rest again.'

The team dispersed throughout the jet to have a short sleep before the plane came in to land. It wasn't easy sleeping in anticipation of being tired, but it was something the team had trained themselves to do. Hotch stayed awake at first though. He read the file through to become totally familiar with every aspect of the case.

Father and son team. That sounded likely. Someone who had a woman close to them raped and the rapist got away? It was a place to start. Just as soon as they landed. He yawned, and settled himself back into the seat. A short sleep would do him good.

-0-0-0-

They were all awake and fresh when the jet landed. The local cops were there to meet them at the air port, happy to have them help.

'SSA Aaron Hotchner.' Hotch said, stepping forwards to shake hands. He introduced his team to the officer in charge.

'There are two cars at your disposal in the car park.' he said. 'How do you want to play this?'

'We would like to get started right away.' Hotch said. 'The team have their assignments.'

The officer nodded in assent, and the team split up. Reid and JJ went with the officer back to the police station. Hotch and Dave took one car, to go and speak to Lorna, the daughter who had found her father's body. Emily and Morgan took the other to check out the latest crime scene.

-0-0-0-

'No sign of forced entry.' Emily said examining the door. 'It looks as if the victim let the UNSub in.'

'Why would he do that?' Morgan said, 'Unless he forced his way in after Fletcher opened the door. Maybe he was expecting someone.'

'We will need to find that out from his daughter.' Emily said. 'My first thought would be take out. But if that was the case? where is it now?'

'No there had to be some other reason for him to open the door.' Morgan said. 'So I'm the UnSub. I force you into the living room with the gun, and get you to kneel down. Then I shoot you point blank in the head, execution style, take the time to remove some hair, and then leave the apartment the way I came in.' he paused, looking round the room. 'He is very sure of himself. Not concerned that someone would hear the shot.'

'Maybe he used a silencer.' Emily suggested. 'The shot probably wouldn't be heard in the next door apartment.'

Morgan sighed. 'Definitely an older man. I still think my father son theory stands.'

'The ages would fit.' Emily agreed. 'Let's get back and see what the other's found.'

-0-0-0-

Lorna had little to add to what was already in the file. She explained that she didn't live at home anymore, but visited regularly. Her father had been through hell with this court case hanging over him for almost a year, and it was such a relief when he was found not guilty. She was had bought him a bottle of his favourite scotch, and they were going to celebrate. She began to cry as she went through her coming to see her father that evening and finding the door slightly open.

'I pushed the door open, but I knew what had happened.' she said. 'I read the papers.'

'Thank you, Lorna.' Dave said. 'You have been a great help.'

Hotch gave her a card. 'If you can think of anything else that would help – anything at all, please call me.'

Lorna managed a tearful smile as she accompanied the agents to her door. 'Please find who did this.' she said. 'My father was a good man.'

'We will do everything possible to bring him to justice.' Hotch said, and they left her standing on her doorstep as they waited for the lift down to where their car was parked.

-0-0-0-

Reid and JJ had been given some space in the basement to set up their team. The evidence board was arrayed with pictures of the murdered men, and a picture of the young man that the cops had shot by the roadside when he pulled his gun on them. They still didn't have an ID for him, and were calling him UnSub One.

UnSub two was the one they were looking for now. The team crowded into the small space and delivered their information. Hotch and Rossi had little to add but were anxious to hear what Emily and Morgan had found out.

'We really need to know who Fletcher was expecting so that he opened the door so readily.' Emily said.

'I think that would be his daughter.' Dave said. 'She was going round to celebrate his victory in court. He was expecting her.'

'That makes sense.' Morgan said.

'I have sent a photo of UnSub one to Garcia.' Reid said. 'She's checking all her data bases for him. If he's there she'll find him.'

'Good.' Hotch said. Jj get us a press conference for this afternoon. We will have some information to give them by then. Now let's get a profile together. What do we have?'

'He's an older white man, in his thirties or above.' Morgan said. 'He is confident, almost cocky in the way he carries out his crimes. He isn't expecting to be caught.'

'Someone close to him has been raped.' Emily said, 'and the rapist got off through the courts.'

'He will be devastated to lose his partner, possibly his son, and this will show in his actions.' Dave said.

He knows the outcomes of the cases he is interested in, and so likely spends a lot of time hanging around the courts. He might even work there.' Hotch said. 'It might be worth taking a picture of UnSub one to the courts and show it around. We might get lucky and someone recognise him.

'I'll do that.' Morgan said.

'Good. Take Emily and Reid with you. JJ organise the press conference, meet down here in two hours. Dave, you and I can work through the file to see if there's anything we've forgotten.'

Rossi nodded and reached for the file on the table. As the agents left the basement, they passed a man coming down the stairs.

'Excuse me,' he said to Hotch. 'Are you in charge of this investigation?'

Hotch stood up and took a step towards the man. He stopped short when the man took a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Hotch's head.

'Do exactly as I say and no one will get hurt.' he said. He took a cell phone from his other pocket and dialled a number.

The ensuing blast knocked all three men off their feet as the floor above them was blown sky high. There was a creaking sound as the ceiling of the basement caved in, and the room was filled with smoke and dust. Debris fell onto them and then suddenly there was total silence.


	2. Fallout

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 2  
Fallout

_**Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts. - **__**Benito Mussolini**_

Reid Morgan and Emily were just leaving the building when the blast struck. People were thrown across the road like rag dolls. Emily lay still on the ground, afraid to move. She called to Morgan – she could see his arm without moving her head, but she couldn't see Reid.

She called to Reid, and moved her head slightly so that she could see more of the pavement. She was on the opposite side of the road to the police station, and she turned to see the building was a pile of rubble.

'Oh my god! Hotch! Rossi!'

She tried to get up, but her hip hurt and she couldn't move.

'Reid!'

It was Morgan calling for him.

Emily pushed herself onto her hands and knees. The pain in her pelvis increased and she lay back down again, panting for breath. Morgan crawled over to her.

'I'm ok, Morgan. Find the others. Where's Reid? And JJ. Hotch and Rossi are still in there.'

There was the distant sirens as the emergency services began to arrive. Emily caught hold of Morgan's arm.

'Find the others....' Emily's hand slipped away from Morgan as she fainted.

-0-0-0-

In the basement, the dust was settling. The lighting was flickering on and off, and there was the sound of electrical shorts. There was something heavy pressing down on Hotch's back. He tried to pull himself from under it, but he screamed as something cut through his clothes into his skin. He tried to roll over but there wasn't enough room.

'Dave!' he called.

There was no answer. Hotch tried to piece together what had happened. A man had come down to the basement and set off the bomb with his cell phone. Where was he now?

'Hello...... Is there anyone else here?'

By way of an answer, someone took hold of his ankle.

'Dave, is that you?'

'No.' the voice replied. Hotch tried to turn to see what was happening..... who was touching him, but he couldn't turn. Any movement was excruciating. he tried to reach for his gun, but his hips were trapped under what felt like a concrete beam. The gun in his ankle holster was removed, and he heard the man walking closer.

'So you are in charge?' he said. Hotch tried to look at him, but couldn't turn his head far enough.

'Where's Dave?'

'Can't see anyone else. It's just you and me.'

The man leaned on the beam that was holding Hotch down. Hotch squirmed beneath it, determined not to cry out as something dug deep into his back. The beam suddenly moved, and there was the sound of concrete falling.

'Dave!' he called to his friend. 'Dave, answer me!'

'I told you he's not here.' the man said, and stood on Hotch's hand, pressing down into the dust. Hotch pulled his hand away but not before the skin was torn.

Hotch was finding breathing difficult. He needed to get out from under the beam.

'I'll die if you don't get me out.' Hotch said. 'I won't be a very good hostage if I'm dead.'

'Who said anything about a hostage.' the man said. 'I expected to die in the blast, not end up stuck down here with you.'

Hotch tried to use the strength in his back to move the beam. If whatever was holding one end up should give way, he would be crushed to death. He had the option of trying to get out, and risk the whole thing falling on him, or lying still and waiting for help to arrive.

In the end there was no option. The beam wouldn't move, and so nor could he.

'Please, look for my colleague.' Aaron said. 'Help him.'

The man said nothing and sat down on a concrete block.

Aaron called Dave again, and there was only silence. The man was sitting still on the block.

'Why have you done this?' Aaron asked.

'My son was murdered by someone in this station.' he said. 'As the one in charge, you are responsible. I am going to kill you. I am my son's blood avenger, and I will die avenging him.'

'I wasn't even here when your son was shot.' Hotch said. 'You have the wrong man.'

'I have the right man.' he said back. 'You said yourself that you were in charge.'

Aaron coughed. He was breathing in dust and grit, and he was bleeding from his nose and ear.

'Let me up so that I can find my colleague, please.' Aaron said. 'I can't go anywhere and you have my gun.'

'You are staying right there. Now shut up and let me think.'

Aaron lay still with his head on one side. He hoped that the others had got out in time. The bomb had been in the ground floor, and the building was three stories high as far as he could remember, so it was going to be a while before they got to them. In the meantime, he was slowly being crushed to death as the beam pressed down harder onto his back. There was a sudden movement, and this time he couldn't help crying out as the beam dropped an inch.

'Please, help me.' he said. I can't..... breathe.'

-0-0-0-

Reid slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, and expected to see the sky, but there was only black. He tried to remember what had happened. He could remember leaving the basement – they were on their way somewhere with a photograph, but that was all he could remember.

He tried to get up, and that was when he realised that he was in an air pocket under a pile of concrete.

A bomb? An earthquake?

His foot was trapped, and he couldn't get up. He reached up with his hands. There was about a foot of space above him and then concrete. He had to get out and quick, before the whole lot came down on him.

'Hello! Is there anyone else here? Emily? Morgan?'

There was no reply to his cries. He wriggled his foot in an effort to loosen it from the rubble but it wouldn't budge.

'JJ! Morgan!'

He felt his heart rate increase, and realised that he was about to have a panic attack. With a huge effort he tried to regulate his breathing but he was hyperventilating. He closed his eyes again, against the thick darkness that surrounded him, and tried to think through this logically, but his fear of the dark was taking hold and all he could think about was the inky blackness crushing in on him.

'Somebody help me.....' he cried, but all it sounded like to his own ears was a pitiable sob of fear.

-0-0-0-

Emily was being strapped to a gurney.

'I can't leave!' she yelled at the medics strapping her down. 'I have colleagues trapped in there.'

'Lay still, Prentiss, and that's an order.' Morgan said, touching her arm. 'I'll let you know as soon as we find the others.'

Still protesting, she was loaded into an ambulance, and sirens blaring, she was taken off to hospital. Morgan stood unsteadily watching it go. His leg was hurting, but he wasn't going to say anything until he had found the rest of the team.

Reid shouldn't be far away. He was only just behind him. He crossed the road to the ruins of the building and began the search.

'Reid! JJ!' he called. JJ had been on the floor above, organising a press release. Hotch and Rossi had been in the basement.

He began pulling at the blocks of concrete with his bare hands.

-0-0-0-

'Help me....' croaked Aaron. The pressure on his back was increasing, and each breath was shallower than the one before. He reached out to the man who was still sitting on the block, saying nothing, and not moving. He tried to touch him but he was too far away. The man kicked Aaron's hand out of the way.

'Don't touch me. I'm trying to think.'

The man got up and began to check the area where they were trapped. There was no way out.

'If you help me,' Aaron said softly, 'It will look better for you in court. You don't have to die today.'

The man went close to Aaron. 'Shut up!' he shrieked, and kicked Aaron in the side of the head. He clamped his hands to his ear and tears sprang to his eyes.

Suddenly the man came to a decision.

'I'm going to try to lift the beam. You will need to crawl out from under it.'

'I don't think I can.' Aaron said. 'You will need to rest the beam on something, and pull me out by the arms.'

_Oh god........_

The man put his weight behind trying to lift the beam It shifted about a inch, and Aaron cried out loud as the weight on his back increased. But it wouldn't move any more. There was too much weight on top of it.

'You will have to stay there.' he said. 'I will find your colleague. He will get me out of here.'

Aaron couldn't speak now, the pressure was too great. He closed his eyes and waited for the beam to crush him. It wouldn't take much. Another couple of inches and he'd be dead.

-0-0-0-

Dave was just waking up. Like Reid, he didn't know how he had got in this position. He was on his side, lying in the thick dust that was still settling. He realised straight away that he was not being held down, but he was trapped in an air pocket. There was some flickering light coming from somewhere and he guessed that the emergency lighting was still working in the basement. He rolled onto his front and climbed onto his hands and knees. There was room for him to crawl, but not to stand.

Aaron. He had been with him.

'Aaron! Hotch!' he called, but there was no reply. He crawled to the edge of his tiny prison, and carefully started to move lumps of concrete out of the way.

What the hell had happened? He guessed a bomb. He remembered a man use a cell phone seconds before the blast that had caused the ceiling of the basement to cave in. The bomber had been in the basement too. was he still there?

'Can anyone hear me?' he called as he dug his way carefully through the rubble.

Suddenly he was through. Carefully, so as not to cause a roof fall, he reached through the hole he had dug. he inched his way through the hole towards the light.

A hand grabbed his wrist.

'Move slowly, and don't try anything. I have a gun.'

Dave moved very slowly. As soon as he was half way through, the man took his gun from his belt. Holding one gun in each hand, he allowed Dave to get through the hole.

'Now I want you to free your colleague.' he said, and ushered Dave over to where Aaron lay trapped. 'I will pull him out when you lift the beam.' he said. Dave bent down and took hold of the beam and lifted it about an inch. The man took Aaron's arms and pulled him clear, taking his gun as he did so and putting it into his pocket. Aaron was unconscious now. As soon as he was clear, Dave dropped the beam. It crashed down into the space where Aaron had been lying. Dave moved quickly to Aaron's side. Immediately, the man raised his gun to Dave.

'Get away from him now.'

Dave stepped back and the man shot him. Dave fell to the ground, bleeding from a wound in his hip. He rolled onto his back, clutching at the wound. The man ignored him and went to Aaron. he kicked him roughly.

'Wake up. You are no good to me asleep.' He kicked him again and Aaron groaned, and opened his eyes. His first thought was that he was free, and then he saw Dave, and tried to crawl over to him.

'Leave him alone. I had to shoot him. I can't control you both. But I didn't kill him because I might need him if you die.'

Aaron coughed and vomited the dirt and dust he had been breathing in. he was still lying on his front, unable to get up. He could feel blood running down his sides from the puncture wound on his back. The man waved his gun at him.

'I need to stop the bleeding or he will bleed out and die anyway.' Aaron said, and began to drag himself to Dave's side.

'Get up and go and sit by him.' he said, indicating Dave who was semiconscious on the floor. He was losing a lot of blood, and Aaron crawled painfully to his side, and tried to press down on the wound. Dave groaned.

'I'm sorry, Dave. I have to stop the bleeding.' Aaron whispered to him. Dave lifted his hand and pressed Aaron's hand.

'I'll do it.' he said weakly. 'Don't upset the guy.'

'You can't .' Aaron said, and removed his jacket and started to undo his shirt.'

'I'm going to make a bandage.' he said, and took off his shirt. It was already soaked with his own blood, but there was nothing else he could use. He wrapped the shirt around his hip and thigh, and used his tie to hold it on. He looked up at the man.

'That's the best I can do.' he said. 'He needs a hospital.'

'No chance of that.' he said, and raised his gun and shot Aaron.


	3. Search and Rescue

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 3  
Search and Rescue

_**First there is the **__**search**__** and **__**rescue**__** phase that is now ending. It is a cruel reality.**__**" – Jan Egeland**_

JJ tried to turn her head but there was something holding her. Her mouth was full of dust and she spat it out and tried to moisten her mouth so that she could cry out for help.

'Can anyone hear me?' She tried to shout, but it came out as a hoarse whisper.

Her arms were free and she began to pull the weight off her head and back, to dig herself free, all the time calling out to anyone who might be able to hear her.

Had it been an earthquake? A bomb? She had been unconscious for a while, and she couldn't remember what had happened. One second she was on the phone organising a press conference, next she woke up here.

She tried to remember where the others were. Reid, Emily and Morgan were leaving the building to canvass the courts with a photo. Hotch and Rossi were still in the basement.

Oh god. Hotch and Rossi........ were they alive?

She felt an increased impetus to escape from the tomb she was in and reach her friends.

'Help me!' she shouted as she fought to move the weight that was holding her down.

-0-0-0-

Suddenly a shaft of dusty light shone into Reid's blackness. He heaved a sigh of relief as he heard Morgan calling to him.

'I'm here, Morgan!' he yelled. A hand reached through the gap in the concrete.

'Reid, take my hand if you can.' he said. Reid reached up and clasped Morgan's hand.

'I can't get out.' he said. I'm trapped by my foot.

'I won't leave you, Kiddo. Search and Rescue are on their way. We'll have you out of there in no time.'

Reid clung onto Morgan's hand.

'Thank you.' he whispered. 'Thank you.'

-0-0-0-

Dave was unconscious. He was still losing a lot of blood despite Aaron's efforts to slow it down. Aaron grasped the wound in his thigh, fighting to stay awake.

'Why did...... you do that?' he stammered. 'You could have left me under the beam.'

'I needed you free, but I need to be able to turn my back on you.' he said.

'I think you have killed Dave.' Aaron said. 'Please, help him.'

'Too late if he's dead. I only need one of you anyway. He's expendable.'

Aaron groaned as a wave of pain engulfed him. The man turned his back and began a search of their prison.

'We will have to wait fro rescue to dig us out.' Aaron said softly.

'And then what? I go to prison? It won't happen I can assure you. I was prepared to die, and I still am. But if there's a chance I can use you to get me out, I will do it.'

Aaron removed his belt and tightened it around his thigh. He had to slow down the bleeding otherwise he'd bleed out long before the Rescue people got to them. There were many others he thought trapped above them.

He pulled the end of the belt tight, and turned to Dave. He felt for a pulse and was relieved when he found one.

'Dave, wake up for me.' he said, gently touching his friend's face. Dave's eyes flickered open.

'Now I want you to stay awake for me.' Aaron said to him. Dave managed a half smile.

'I'll ..... do my best.' he said.

Aaron loosened the tourniquet slightly and tightened it again. He pulled himself up onto his feet.

'There's little point in trying to find a way out of here.' he said. 'There are tons of rubble on top of us. How do you expect to get out?'

The man ignored him, and picked up the evidence board that was on the floor. There was a picture of UnSub One on it. H snatched the photo off the board.

'This is my son that you murdered.' he said to Aaron.

'Like I said, you got the wrong man. I wasn't.....'

He didn't get any further. The man pushed him down onto his back and stood on his wounded thigh. Aaron screamed despite himself, and tried to turn away from him. He pressed down harder.

'If I say that you are responsible, then you are. As the man in charge of the investigation, you hold responsibility.'

'I wasn't here.' Aaron gasped. 'My team only just arrived.'

_My team...... had they made it out of the building? JJ was going upstairs. Was she safe? Did I even have a team?_

The man released the pressure on Aaron's leg, and he clutched at it, willing the agony to stop.

'What do you propose to do?' Aaron asked. The man kicked at his leg again. Aaron pulled away, groaning with the new pain.

'I don't know! Now shut up or I'll shoot your friend dead.' and he sat on the block again with his head in his hands.

Aaron manoeuvred himself between the guns and Dave. If he was going to kill Dave he had to get past him first. Not that it would be difficult, He just wanted to slow him down.

'Let me help you?' Aaron said, hoping that the man wouldn't go for him.

'Why should I listen to you?'

'I'm trapped down here too. I want to get out alive.' Aaron replied.

The man went up close to Aaron, and grabbed his hair, pulling him up with it. Aaron grabbed at his wrists trying to lessen the pain. He hit Aaron's head onto the wall of the tomb and dropped him back down. Aaron fell semi conscious onto the floor, blood seeping from a wound in the back of his head.

-0-0-0-

'Kid, we've almost reached you.' Morgan said, feeling the grip on his hand tighten.

Spencer didn't say anything. He felt movement of the crushing on his foot, and he wondered if he would lose it to get out of there.

Suddenly the concrete above his head moved out of the way, and hands reached in for him.

'My foot is stuck.' he said between gritted teeth. But he could see sky now. And the sun was shining, and Morgan was there. He smiled.

'Hey kid. We've got you.'

-0-0-0-

JJ called out again to anyone who was listening. She could hear something and it was a moment before she realised it was a dog. They had found her and she would soon be out.

'Hang on in there, Miss. We know you are there, and we are trying to reach you.' called a voice back to her. Are you hurt?'

'Not hurt.' she called back. 'Just stuck.'

She sensed movement above her and turned her face away from falling dust and grit. She wondered where the others were. Hotch and Rossi........

'We're almost there. Just hold on........'

-0-0-0-

'You have a cracked pelvis and broken ribs. To say nothing of the cuts and bruises. You can not go back to the blast site. You won't even be walking for a while.'

'But I have to.' Emily protested. 'My friends are trapped.'

'That's why we have Search and Rescue.' the doctor said, beginning to get cross.

'Please can you find out if any others have been brought in?' she insisted.

The doctor pursed his lips. 'Very well. I'll check.'

He left Emily fretting in the cubicle

She felt completely useless lying there, but the doc was right. She couldn't even stand up, let alone help the S & R dig in the rubble. She laid back and tried to relax. The doctor returned.

'They are pulling people alive out of the rubble. But no one from the list you gave me has been admitted. If anyone does, I'll let you know.'

Emily closed her eyes and tried not to sleep.

-0-0-0-

Dave opened his eyes again and he turned sideways to Aaron. Aaron wasn't moving. He reached out a shaking hand and touched his friend.

'Aaron, are you awake?'

Aaron groaned and turned to his friend.

'You ok?'

'I'm fine.' Dave said. 'What about you.'

'Ok I think.' Aaron said. He needed to engage the man, but if he tried to move he felt sick. He thought he had concussion from the blow on the head. He ignored it, and turned into a sitting position. The man turned to him.

'Where do you think you are going?'

'I want to talk to you. I'm in pain and.....'

Aaron clutched at his stomach and vomited onto the ground in front of him.

'I don't want to know about your pain. I have my own pain.' He thrust the photograph of his son at Aaron.

'I am sorry for your loss, but your son was shot in a self defence move when.......'

The man swung at Aaron and hit him in the mid section. He doubled forwards and vomited again. This time blood was left on his lips.

'....when he pulled a ....' The man kicked Aaron in the face as he struggled to stand.

'I told you to SHUT UP!' He punched Aaron in the side of his face and he fell to the ground. Aaron didn't move. Dave reached forwards to him.

'Aaron.' he said. He turned to the man who was standing over Aaron. 'What are you doing? Trying to kill him?'

'If he dies, it's nothing to me.' he said, taking another kick.

'Leave him alone.' Dave shouted. 'He is not responsible for your son's death.'

'Yes he is!' yelled the man. 'He said he was in charge of the investigation. As such he is responsible.

Dave attempted to stand to face off the man who was beating his friend. He pulled himself onto his feet and leaned back against the wall.

'If you are referring to collective blood guilt, then we are both as guilty.'

'Get back down, or you will get the same.'

'Just leave him alone.' Dave sank down onto his haunches, unable to stay upright any longer. Aaron still didn't move. 'Aaron, wake up.'

He reached to check on Hotch. He wasn't responding, and Dave was afraid for him

-0-0-0-

Reid felt the weight loosen from his foot, and he was pulled out and strapped to a spinal board.

'I don't want to be on this thing.' he shouted, squirming under the straps.

'You need to be checked first.'

'Morgan! Tell them!'

'You're going to be checked, Reid. You're no good with a broken foot.'

Still protesting, Reid was loaded into an ambulance. Morgan watched the ambulance drive off, and turned back to the pile of rubble that had once been the police station.

'There's a survivor here!' a rescuer shouted from his place near the top of the pile of rubble. Morgan quickly climbed to him.

'Let me help you.'

'Sure. It's a woman. She's trapped, but you can hold her hand.'

Morgan reached in through a gap in the rubble and took a hand.

'What's your name, Miss?'

'Jennifer.'

-0-0-0-

Dave couldn't wake Aaron up. He looked at the man who was holding them.

'I can't wake him. I will not co operate with you if you don't help him.'

'I don't need him if I have you. I only need one hostage.'

'But two is better. Help him. You have the guns.'

The man knelt next to Aaron and pulled him onto his back. Aaron's eyes were closed, his forehead beaded with sweat. His skin was pale and clammy.

'He doesn't look too well.' the man said. 'I'll put him out of his misery and kill him now.'

'NO!' Dave shouted, trying to put himself in between them, much as Aaron had done earlier

The man picked up Aaron's head by his fringe, and dropped his head back down. His head cracked onto the concrete and the blood flowed more strongly. Aaron made a gagging choking sound. Dave tried to turn his friend over, and Aaron vomited again.

'You can get back from him now.' and he swung the gun, catching Dave under the chin with the butt of the shotgun. Dave fell back with a cry; he touched his face where he had begun to bleed.

Aaron was on his hands and knees vomiting blood onto the floor. His arms were shaking as he held himself up. He coughed and choked and his stomach twisted and gripped at him. His eyes were watering as he tried to stop.

At last the spasm subsided, and he collapsed onto his side, carefully shielding Dave with his body.

'We are going to be down here for sometime.' he said between coughs.

'I don't want to hear your voice.' the man said, and pressed his foot onto Aaron's wound. Aaron fainted.


	4. Digging Deeper

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 4  
Digging Deeper

"_**The thing about a hero, is even when it doesn't look like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, he's going to keep **__**digging**__**, he's going to keep trying to do right and make up for what's gone before, just because that's who he is.**__**" – Joss Whedon**_

'JJ is that you?'

'Morgan?'

'It's ok, JJ. We're getting you out.'

JJ felt hot tears course down the sides if her face. She gripped onto Morgan's hand and he held hers tightly. The light increased as more debris was pulled away, and JJ breathed in the fresh dust free air. Morgan took her other hand.

'Does it hurt anywhere, JJ?' he asked.

'I'm fine, just a few grazes.'

She smiled at Morgan, as she was finally pulled through the gap into the sunshine.

-0-0-0-

The man with the guns was pacing, and muttering to himself. He was staring to think that he didn't want to die after all. He wanted to get out of there.

The man poked Dave in the side with Aaron's gun.

'Get over here and start digging. I want to get out of here.'

Dave opened his eyes and looked up at his captor.

'I don't think I can. You shot me, remember?'

'I will shoot you again, David, if you don't do as I say.'

'You won't get out of here alive, you know. You will get killed as soon as we see daylight.'

'I don't think so.' he said, fingering the trigger of the guns

Dave did as he was told. His hip was numb now, and the pain was distant. He felt light headed and a little sick, he thought it as a result of breathing foul air and losing blood. He couldn't stop the man from beating Aaron and the guilt he felt was unbearable. He looked across to where Aaron was lying, eyes closed against the pain he was in.

Aaron also noticed that the air was becoming thick and unbreathable. They had to get out quickly now or that would suffocate. It felt as if they had been down there for days, although it was difficult to tell.

Dave began to dig with his bare hands at the masonry that was covering the stairs from the basement.

Aaron was thinking about the rest of his team. He had no way of knowing if any of them had died in the explosion. He opened his eyes. He still felt thoroughly sick and he found it difficult to move.

'What are you doing?' he called hoarsely.

'I told you I didn't want to hear your voice!' the man said angrily, and he kicked Aaron's leg again. He grimaced in agony, but fought back the desire to scream. He watched as Dave struggled to move boulders of concrete, and he began to pull himself across the floor to help him. The man pointed the gun.

'Stay back.'

'Let me help him.' Aaron said. 'He's weak and ....... injured. With both of us working we'll .......... get out quicker.'

The man appeared to think for a second and then he waved the gun at Aaron, but he made no attempt to help him.

He couldn't do it though. He managed a few feet and then rolled onto his back.

'I'm sorry, Dave..... can't make it.'

Aaron closed his eyes and moaned softly as the pain hit him again. He wanted to help Dave, he wanted to be by his side, but he felt too ill to move. He felt a hand grip his ankle and drag him across the floor. The rough concrete tore into his tee shirt.

'Now help him.'

Aaron turned and crawled to Dave's side.

'I think he's starting to panic.' Dave said under his breath. Aaron nodded pushed his hand behind some masonry and pulled forwards. It was dangerous work. Move the wrong piece and the whole lot could come down on them. The man put the gun into his pocket and grabbed the two agents by the hair.

'You're not working fast enough!' he shouted and knocked their heads together with all his strength. Aaron cried out as the blood began to run from his ear again. Dave passed out and fell forwards onto the floor. Neither of them were able to obey the man with the gun.

The man took the guns out of his pocket and started to pace up and down their prison, his hands pressed against his head. He was starting to lose it, and Aaron was afraid that he might just shoot them for the hell of it, but it showed his state of mind. The next bullet might kill. Aaron turned to Dave and shook him slightly. He felt for a pulse, and found one – weak and thready.

'Dave, wake up Dave.' he whispered, but there was no movement from his friend.

-0-0-0-

'It's not broken, so I am leaving!' Reid yelled.

'I recommend........'

'I know what you recommend; that I stay here while a man who is very important to me could be lying dead at a bomb site. I'm leaving!' he said. 'Just bring me whatever it is I have to sign, and please call me a cab.'

The doctor sighed, and sent a nurse to get the paperwork.

'You do realise that you are doing yourself more damage, don't you.'

'I would die for that man, a little pain is nothing......... Thank you.' Reid signed the papers and swung his legs off the bed. One foot was heavily bandaged, but he was able to walk by favouring the other leg. He hobbled to the lift and called it. He got out his cell and called Morgan.

'Hey I'm on my way back.' he said. 'Any news of the others?'

'They are getting JJ out now. She seems to be ok. Hotch and Rossi are still missing though.'

Reid got into the lift.

'I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.' he said, and snapped the phone shut.

Morgan closed his phone too and watched as they strapped JJ to a spinal board. She seemed unhurt but they weren't taking any chances. He put a call through to the ward where Prentiss was.

'Please can you give a message to Agent Prentiss......... Reid and JJ are ok....... thank you.'

Now they had to find Hotch and Rossi.

-0-0-0-

Reid clambered awkwardly up the pile of masonry to get to where Morgan was digging through the rubble. He knelt down to help.

'JJ's ok. We dug her out and she's on her way to hospital to be checked over.' Morgan said. 'What about your foot? Is it ok?'

'Just twisted. It's fine.' Reid said, not making eye contact.

Truth was, it was hurting like hell, but he had to be there to try and dig out Hotch and Rossi. Reid had a special closeness with Hotch, which had grown more and more since Gideon deserted him. He couldn't imagine a life without Aaron.

And Dave – well Dave was his hero. He had read all his books, and they were brilliantly written. It was so bad in fact that when he had first started back at the BAU, Reid found it difficult to engage in conversation with him. Now he had signed copies of all the books Rossi had written, and they were sealed in plastic on his book shelf, next to the unsealed ones that were there for him to re read should he ever need to. For the time being it was unnecessary. He knew the books off by heart.

He pulled at the debris, lifting s beam of concrete with Morgan's help.

_We're coming, Aaron, Rossi. Hold on........_

-0-0-0-

Emily was sitting up in bed, pretending that she wasn't in agony from her fractured pelvis. She was pale and shaky, and she laid back down, sighing with relief as the pain lessened. The nurse came in and told her the message from Morgan.

'Reid and JJ are safe.' she said.

'Oh thank god.' she said, her mind going straight to Hotch and Rossi. Were they still alive? She prayed that they were.

-0-0-0-

Hotch heard sounds above him as rubble was moved away and the rescuers got closer. He wasn't sure what was going to happen when they broke through. Would the UnSub simply shoot them both, or would he take a hostage? The hostage would have to be him. Dave was unconscious, not responding to anything Aaron did or said. The man was sitting on the block again. His head was resting on the backs of his hands, in which he still grasped the guns.

Aaron loosened the belt at the top of his leg for a few seconds, and then tightened it again. The pain of the renewed blood flow was excruciating and he groaned and almost passed out. He watched the man fiddling with the guns, as if he was itching to fire them.

Suddenly, he pointed the guns at David. His face was twitching and he looked stressed as beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Aaron heard the bullets click into their chambers. He had to get his attention, and quickly.

'What are you going to do?' Aaron asked. The man swung the guns away from Dave and pointed them at Aaron as he looked across at him.

'I told you I didn't want to hear your voice, and now I am going to kill you, you murdering son of a bitch.' he said, and stood up. He stepped towards Aaron, who tried to get up and face him. He made it onto his hands and knees when the man decided it was enough. He kicked Aaron in the face and he fell onto his back. He turned over and tried again to get up. He had to keep the man's attention away from Dave. The man grabbed Aaron's hair on the back of his head and pulled him backwards. He was still holding a gun in the same hand. A misfire, and Aaron would be dead. Aaron tried to reach the man's hand, but he couldn't get it out of his hair. He pulled him over to the other side of the room, and pulled him upright onto his feet, his hand on the other gun never wavering, pressing it into the side of Aaron's neck. Aaron closed his eyes, expecting at any moment to be shot to death. He had never felt so helpless and useless. His friend was dying and he could do nothing to help him.

He pulled suddenly hard and Aaron fell back, looking up into the man's eyes. Then he started to hurt him. He kicked his leg and body, cracking his head on the ground. He stamped hard on Aaron's face and he felt a crack as his nose broke and blood gushed. Aaron's teeth dug deep into his lips and more blood flowed. He spat it out as it filled his mouth. Then the man stood on Aaron's injured thigh. Aaron cried out weakly. The pain was intolerable, and his eyes unfocused as he tried to stay conscious.

Then he stopped, and spoke to him.

'Do you have anything to say before I kill you?'

He knelt down and held one gun against his uninjured thigh.

'Do you have anything to say?'

Aaron looked up at him.

'Yes. I do. I'm worried about my friends.....'

This was his only chance. He made a grab for the gun. The man jerked it out of the way and pulled the trigger. Aaron groaned as the bullet tore through flesh and bone and embedded in his femur. Tears sprang to his eyes, but still he kept hold of the man's wrist. Another bullet flew, but this one hit the wall. Aaron tried to twist the gun from his hand. The man raised the second gun – Aaron's own ankle gun, and hit Aaron on the side of his head with it. Aaron's grip on his wrist fell away and he collapsed back onto the floor. He turned his head to the side and saw Dave, still unmoving.

_I am so sorry, Dave. I am so sorry......._

Aaron fainted as the blood ran from his thigh.


	5. Hostage

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 5  
Hostage

"_**Neither dead nor alive, the **__**hostage**__** is suspended by an incalculable outcome. It is not his destiny that awaits for him, nor his own death, but anonymous chance, which can only seem to him something absolutely arbitrary. He is in a state of radical emergency, of virtual extermination.**__**" – Jean Baudrillard**_

Aaron didn't see the sudden light shine in his prison. He was unconscious, his body trying to fight the effects of two gunshot wounds to his leg. He floated at the very edge of awareness, groping for life, desperately hanging on.

As bright sunlight poured into the basement, the man came to a decision.

'I have two hostages down here.' the man shouted at the rescuers. 'I will kill one of them if you come any closer. I want to speak to the man in charge.' He shot the gun through the hole, and the rescuer jumped back out of the way.

Morgan heard the gunshot and looked up from where he and Reid were digging. He got up and clambered across the debris to the rescuer who was sitting where he had fallen in his hurry to get away from the gunshot.

'Are you ok?' he asked.

'I'm fine, but there's someone in the basement. He said he has two hostages and he wants the person in charge.'

Morgan crawled to the top of the hole that the rescuer had dug.

'What do you want?' he shouted.

'I want to get away from here with my life.' he said. 'I want a car and someone to drive it. I will release one hostage when I get the car. If in one hour I don't have a car, I will kill them both.'

-0-0-0-

The man sat on his block and waited. There was no movement from one of the hostages, but the younger one showed signs of waking up. It would be him then that he would take into the car with him. The other he would leave behind. Dead or alive – probably dead. The bang on the head seemed to do a lot of damage – he hadn't moved since.

'We have a car for you.' a voice said from above, 'and a driver.'

Aaron had his eyes open although there was little recognition in them. His trouser leg was saturated with blood, and he was still bleeding. He looked up at the sound of the voice. It sounded like Morgan, but he couldn't be sure.

The man pulled him up by the front of his tee shirt and held him under the arms and across the chest. He held a gun to his side under his left arm, ready to fire if something went wrong. He dragged Aaron up the pile of rubble into the daylight. It looked like it was early morning from the length of the shadows, and he realised they had been trapped for almost an entire day.

He climbed awkwardly down the pile of debris to the waiting car, all the while holding his hostage like a shield between himself and the police sharp shooters who all had their guns trained on him. He backed towards the car, dragging Aaron along with him. When he got to the car he opened the back door and got in, pulling Aaron in after him.

he let Aaron fall to the floor of the car. He put his foot against Hotch's leg, just in case he tried anything and he pressed a gun into the back of the neck of the driver.

'Just drive.' he said, and the car pulled away from the kerb and along the road past the road block.

-0-0-0-

As soon as the car was out of sight, Morgan went down into the basement. There seemed to be blood everywhere. Dave was lying on his back against the wall at the opposite end of the room. Dave ran to him, followed closely by the medics.

At first Morgan thought that Dave was dead. He wasn't moving and his eyes were slightly open. But he found a pulse, and stood back gratefully and let the medical team do their work. Dave groaned as they moved him, and to Morgan it was a good sound.

The hostage taker had been true to his word and had freed one of his hostages. But from what he had seen, Hotch had looked like he was in a bad way. He followed the medics out of the basement, but he didn't go to the ambulance with him. He knew Dave was safe now. His thoughts now were of Reid and Hotch.

-0-0-0-

Reid was driving. His foot hurt, but he ignored the pain, and concentrated on the job. Morgan had wanted to take the car, but it had to be Reid. The UnSub already knew Morgan's voice, and that only left Reid. Neither wanted to leave Aaron's life in the hands of cops they didn't know.

He had taken the bandage off his foot and the car was an automatic, so it wasn't too difficult to drive. Morgan had told him to keep his cell phone on so that they could track him. He felt the weight of it in his pocket.

'Where do you want to go?' he asked.

The man had not made up his mind. He didn't really thing he'd be safe where ever he went. He pressed down on Aaron's leg as he began to move, as the fresh air reached his lungs. Aaron moaned in pain, and Reid's stomach clenched at the sound. He had no idea how he was going to do it, but he had somehow to get this man away from Aaron, so that he could recover.

'What is your name?' the UnSub asked Reid.

'I'm Spencer Reid.' he said. 'I work in security.'

Suddenly the man had an idea. Just outside town there was a row of half built houses, where the builder had run out of money before he could finish them. That would be their destination.

But first they had to swap cars. He wasn't stupid, and the car had to be bugged.

There was a small SUV up in front of them. The man gave the order for Reid to cut it off. Reid passed the car and turned sharp right. The small car stopped just short of hitting them.

'Get the driver out, and take her place.' the man said, 'and remember I have a hostage back here.' and as if to prove the point, he stamped down on Aaron's leg, and he cried out in pain.

Reid got out and pulled the startled woman out of the car.

'Go.' he said to her. 'The other guy has a gun.'

She didn't need to be told twice, and she ran over the grass verge and into the field next to the cars. The man dragged Aaron from the car and pushed him into the back seat again. There wasn't room for him in the foot well, so he sat slumped in the seat behind the passenger's seat. The man got in behind Reid, and resumed holding the gun to his neck.

'Now drive along here and take the next left.' he said. He knew exactly where he was going now.

-0-0-0-

'The vehicle has stopped outside town.'

'Damn. He's probably switched cars.' Morgan said. 'Get over there and find out. If he carjacked someone, we'll know the car at least. We can find it and follow it by helicopter. There's no hope of following by car. Not along that road.'

They didn't need to go anywhere. The woman whose car had been taken had called to report it. They had the make and licence plate. No all they had to do was find it.

-0-0-0-

Reid drove round to the back of the half built houses and parked where he was told.

'Now get out slowly. I don't need two hostages, so you had better do as I say.'

He got out, holding the gun on Reid. He was playing this by ear and he had no idea what he was doing. He expected to die in the blast, but suddenly living seemed like a better option. He led Reid into the house, leaving Aaron slumped unconscious on the back seat. He was going no where.

He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't sit with the gun on him indefinitely, he needed time to think, and he couldn't do that while he was holding a hostage. He would have to kill him or incapacitate him. But first he would make him carry the other hostage into the house.

Reid knew the odds of getting out of here alive were pretty slim. He had the figures on the tip of his tongue. He felt sick for Aaron, terrified that he was lying dead in the car. When the man ordered him to go outside and bring him in, he was relieved. At least he would be able to help him in his pain.

If he was still alive.......

'Now I said! Get out there now and bring him in. Remember I have the gun trained on you.'

Reid went outside to the car. The man watched him through the glassless window, holding the gun steady. Reid opened the car door and leaned in to Aaron. He was horrified at the amount of blood on the seat. It was as if his body from the hips down were bathed in blood. He noticed the belt around his thigh, and he loosened it for a second or two. Aaron groaned with pain as blood flowed into his limb. Then Reid tightened it, and slipped his hands under Aaron's body and pulled him our of the car as gently as he could. Aaron instinctively put his arms around Reid's neck and hung on. Reid carried him carefully back into the dark house, and laid him on the floor as gently as he could.

-0-0-0-

Emily was told that Dave was in the hospital, and as soon as he was out of surgery, she insisted on being taken to see him. They wheeled her from her ward, two floors up to the high dependency unit, where she was surprised to see JJ already there. She had a bandage on her arm and butterfly clips on a gash on her forehead.

'Are you ok JJ?' Emily asked. JJ smiled at her. 'I'm fine.' she said. 'I just thought that it would be nice if Rossi didn't wake up alone.'

'My thoughts too.' said Emily, smiling back. She wheeled herself to the opposite side of the bed.'Do we know how he is?' she asked.

'He had lost quite a lot of blood.' JJ said. 'He had been shot in the hip, and the surgeons removed the bullet ok. There was a head injury to, but that doesn't seem to be too serious. It's just a matter of him waking up now.'

'Reid was here earlier, but he signed himself out.' Emily said. 'He went back to the blast site to help get Rossi and Hotch out. I don't know what has happened, but Hotch isn't here.'

'I guess we'll have to wait until Morgan get's back.' JJ said, a worried timbre to her voice.

Emily took Rossi's hand and squeezed gently, hoping for a reaction.

-0-0-0-

Reid knelt on the floor beside Aaron, ignoring the gun that was pointing unwaveringly at his head.

'Aaron, Hotch, wake up. It's me, Spencer. Don't leave me now.'

Aaron heard the voice and it was like a warm ray in the cold darkness where he was. He tried to lift his hand, the movement was noticed by Reid and he took hold of it. He tried to turn his head but he was too weak. He opened his eyes a little and stared at the ceiling of the room.

'Is he waking up?' the man said.

'I .... I think so.' Reid answered. 'Please, let me get him to hospital. No one has died yet. If this man dies, it becomes murder. Please.'

'I don't believe you. The bomb would have killed some people.'

'It didn't. They all got out alive. If you want to get out alive, call an ambulance for him.'

Reid held Aaron's hand tight, and he felt the fingers move in response.

Reid had a cell phone in his pocket. If he could just switch it on........

Reid slipped his hand into his pocket where his cell phone was. He carefully hit a speed dial number, hoping he hit the right one without looking. If his phone was active, Garcia would be able to find them. As he slipped his hand out of his pocket, the man saw.

'What have you got in your pocket!' he yelled.

'N-nothing.....'

The man crossed to Reid, and pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and threw it on the floor.

Then he raised the gun and fired........


	6. Reid's Sacrifice

**A/N Sorry for the delay. A slightly shorter chapter this time. It felt like the best place to end it though.**

**Avenger of Blood  
**Chapter 6  
Reid's Sacrifice

"_**The greatest gift a man can offer is his life for a friend." ANON**_

Reid looked miserably at the smashed phone. It had broken when it hit the floor; the bullet put paid to any remote chance that it was still transmitting.

'You made a big mistake there.' the man said, advancing on Aaron.

'Don't touch him, please, do it to me. It was my fault.' Reid said frantically.

'So you know him?' the man said. 'I thought you said you were a security guard.'

'I lied. I am an FBI agent. This man is important to me. I would give my life for him.'

The man turned the gun back towards Reid.

'Is that why you are here? To try to protect this man?'

'Yes.' Reid answered. The man looked at him curiously.

'So your life is cheap?' he asked, not understanding.

'I don't want to die.' Reid said. 'But if it came to a choice, I would rather die than see him die.'

'A noble sentiment.' the man said. 'I started off not caring if I should live or die, but now I want to live. And I would kill you both to achieve that end.'

'No one has died yet. You are not wanted for murder. Give yourself up. That way you live and it will go better with you in court.'

The man suddenly turned on Reid. beating him down with the butt of the gun.

'Shut up. you lied to me. Now I will kill you for it.'

Reid raised his hands above his head in an attempt to ward of the blows. Most of them got through though. He crouched on the floor and put his arms protectively around his head.

As suddenly as the attack began, it stopped. Reid looked up to see the man attacking Aaron. That he couldn't cope with. The man's back was turned to Reid. He was obviously losing it. Again and again he smashed the gun butt down onto Aaron's head and face. He was making no protective moves, in fact he wasn't moving atall. Reid saw a chance to overpower the man. He leaped onto the men's back and wrapped his arm around his neck as he tried to stop him. He caught hold of the man's wrist and turned the gun inwards towards him. The gun discharged, and the two men fell. The bullet traversed the man's body, and entered into Reid's. Reid clutched at his stomach. He had managed to shoot himself as well as the UnSub. He knew that he was probably going to die if he didn't get help straight away.

Reid dragged himself away from the man's body, towards Aaron. He saw blood pouring from a head wound, and he felt sure the man had killed him.

'Aaron....' he gasped, his hand pressing down on his stomach, blood welling up between his fingers. 'Aaron, please,..... say something....'

Aaron didn't move.

-0-0-0-

'Reid's phone was active for just a few seconds.' Garcia said. 'I got a rough fix, but it wasn't on long enough for me to get an exact location. I'm sorry.'

'Send us what you have.' Morgan said. 'It's a lead at least.'

Seconds later the information was on his PDA.

'I have somewhere to look.' he told the police officer who was with him. They had set up a temporary evidence room in a Portacabin in the schoolyard. The children had all been sent home. A map of the area lay on a table between them. Morgan compared his information from Garcia with the map, and drew a circle encompassing an area outside town.

'The phone signal came from somewhere in this area. Do you know what's there? We are looking for somewhere our bomber could be hiding. He has two hostages.'

'There are several old factories there, and an unfinished housing estate.' he said. 'Here and here.' The police officer marked the map.

Morgan drew his side arm and checked it. 'I'll do this alone.' he said. 'I'll call for back up if I need it.'

'I don't think so, Agent Morgan. I'm coming with you.'

Morgan smiled gratefully at the officer. 'Ok.'

-0-0-0-

The two of them drove first to the industrial estate. None of the factories were in use any more, and the land was waiting for re-development. The economic climate had put a lot of developers and builders out of business, and there wasn't enough money to continue the work. The result was many half finished buildings. It was a depressing sight.

We'll look for the car first. It has to be somewhere around here.'

As they were preparing to get out of the car, Morgan's phone rang again. It was Garcia.

'I've had a look at the satellite images for that area we looked at.' she said, 'And I think I have found something interesting.'

'Go ahead, Princess.'

'There is a car parked around the back of the unfinished houses.' she said. 'It's the right make and model for the one that got carjacked.'

'Send me the co ordinates, Baby Girl, and thank you.' he turned to his partner. 'I think we have him.'

They drove close to the vehicle, but stopped a hundred yards from it. There was no need to alert the bomber. They left their car, and crept over to the abandoned vehicle. Morgan felt his stomach twist when he saw the blood on the back seat. It had pooled and clotted on the fabric, and was still wet.

'This is definitely the car.' he said, checking the licence plate.

They covered the ground between the car and the closest building, noting gravitational drops of blood and footprints leading the way to what would someday be the back door of someone's house. They took a stance at either side of the doorway.

-0-0-0-

Reid gently lifted Aaron's head onto his lap. He wasn't sure if he was dead or not, but he loosened the belt around his leg to let some blood through. Aaron moved and groaned in pain as the blood flowed briefly. Both wounds began to bleed again. It re assured Reid, knowing that Aaron's heart was still pumping.

'Aaron, we're safe........ He's dead.' Reid gasped. His stomach wound was agony and his head and shoulders hurt where the man had beaten him. He felt light headed and sick. But Aaron was his priority. He had to get some help if they were to live, but he didn't know how he was going to do it. There was a car outside he could use, but his stomach wound stopped him from doing anything. He took Aaron's hand and grasped it. If they were going to die here, they would do so together. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Aaron's, their blood mixing, their hair touching. He wrapped his arms around his friend and passed out.

-0-0-0-

Morgan saw the dead UnSub first, lying in a pool of blood just inside the door. Reid and Hotch were huddled together at the opposite side of the room. Morgan ran to their side, calling to his partner to call the paramedics. He felt for a pulse on both of his colleagues, and was relived when both were still living. But there was too much blood. Aaron was soaked in blood from the hips down. His face was smashed and his hair was bloody. and Reid had blood streams down his face and neck, and he was holding a stomach wound, black blood welling between his pale fingers.

'Reid, It's Morgan. You are going to be fine now, just stay awake for me.'

'Shot..... myself....... ' Reid said softly, one hand reaching for Morgan's. Morgan noticed that Reid's hand was covered with blood.

'It's ok Kid.' he said, taking his hand. 'The paramedics are on their way.'

Morgan's partner quickly checked the UnSub to ensure he was dead. He had been shot at an angle from his upper chest to the exit wound half way down his back. He was definitely dead and posed no further threat.

He looked up at Morgan. 'Where are those paramedics?'

-0-0-0-

Emily smiled across at JJ as Dave's eyes opened slowly. He had been on the very edge of consciousness for a while, but that last battle to open his eyes had been hard. He turned his head to Emily.

'Aaron...... ' was all he said.

'Morgan had a lead. He's following it up now. Welcome back, Sir.'

JJ left to tell the nurse that her patient was awake.

'You?' he said softly.

I'm fine.' Emily said. 'And so is JJ and Morgan. Reid is with Hotch. Morgan's gone to bring them in.'

Rossi relaxed back down in the bed. He wouldn't feel happy until Aaron was back. It wasn't easy to leave it up to Morgan. He trusted him with his life, but trusting him with Aaron's life was different somehow.

-0-0-0-

The paramedics separated Reid and Hotch. It was difficult to see the damage with so much blood, so they loaded the two men onto gurneys, and carried them out into the daylight. They removed the belt on Aaron's thigh and cut away his trousers. The two holes in his thigh were clearly visible now. They pressed a bandage against the wounds and loaded him into the ambulance.

Reid's stomach wound was pumping dark thick blood. He was quickly loaded into the ambulance beside Hotch. There was no room for Morgan and his partner to ride with their colleagues so they followed in the car.

So they didn't witness the fight to bring Reid back when he arrested on the way to hospital. And the effort to stop Aaron from bleeding to death.

Morgan arrived at the same time as the ambulance, and he ran into the ER with the gurneys.

'You have to save these men!' he said to the attending. 'They are important to a lot of people, including each other,'

The nurses pushed between Morgan and the injured men. 'We will do what we can.'' they said, and pushed the two men through transparent double doors into resus.

Morgan was left standing on one side of the door as they closed. He stood watching through the doors.

The police officer, whose name Morgan didn't even know, stood behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

'We can't do anything for them now. It's up to them in there, and they are the best.'

Morgan turned to him. 'I know. Thank you.'


	7. Recovery and Love

Avenger of Blood  
Chapter 7  
Recovery and Love

_**"Love is the enchanted dawn of every heart." ~Alphonse Marie de la Martine~**_

Hotch was floating in a pain free sea of soft blackness. He knew that he was hurt, but he couldn't feel it any more. He tried to call out Reid's name but something was preventing him. His throat had something in it stopping him from speaking.

_Spencer......... are you there.............?_

His mind called out. He felt agitated even though his body was free from the agonies of the beating he had endured. He just wanted to know that Reid was all right. He remembered him being there, touching him, holding him. Now those arms were gone, and he was alone.

He tried to move his hand to his throat, but it felt as if they weighed too much to lift. He was paralysed, and nothing worked as it should.

_Spencer........_

Spencer wasn't there any more. They had been parted. He couldn't understand why he had gone, and in his distress, his eyes overflowed with tears.

Hands were touching him, but it wasn't Reid. These were strangers' hand. He felt the hot tears run down the side of his face and wet his hair. He wanted to speak, to tell these people to leave him, to find Spencer and look after him, but the words wouldn't come, and he drifted away as exhaustion took hold of him.

-0-0-0-

Reid was awake, and could feel the mask across his face. He breathed the oxygen gratefully, and he turned his head to watch what was happening on the next bed.

He knew it was Aaron, but he couldn't see him. He wanted to reach out to him, but his body was not responding to him. It was as if he was in someone else's body, and he had no control.

He felt a surge of love for him, followed by fear that he wasn't going to make it.

He looked up into the eyes of the doctor who was caring for him.

'We are going to send you up to theatre. We need to repair your stomach, and get the bullet out. You are going to be fine, but it is going to hurt.'

Reid watched in silence as a drug was injected into his IV line, and within seconds, he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

-0-0-0-

Dave was awake now, and fretting about Aaron. He remembered that the man had taken Aaron as a hostage, and left him to die, and he desperately wanted to see Aaron, to make sure with his own eyes that he was going to live.

He moved in his bed, and winced as damaged muscles protested. His hip was hurting and his leg felt as if a thousand needles were digging into him. He squeezed the hand that was in his, and he opened his eyes again to see who was with him.

'Hello again, Sir.' Emily said with a smile. 'They found Hotch, and he's alive. He's in theatre at the moment. He should be joining you down here very soon now. Reid has been shot, but he is going to make it too.'

Rossi smiled his lop sided smile, and squeezed her hand again. The team was still intact. He allowed himself to relax and close his eyes again.

-0-0-0-

JJ was fine other than a few cuts and bruises. She went to the coffee machine and collected a coffee for herself and Emily. Taking it back she thought about what had happened.

Somehow she had survived a madman's bomb with hardly a scratch. The gods were obviously smiling on her. She was the only member of the team to have pulled through without needing hospital intervention.

She sat down next to Emily and gave her the coffee.

'Rossi was just awake. I told him that Hotch had been brought in.' she said. 'He's gone back to sleep again now. I don't think he would have relaxed until he knew Hotch was safe.'

Emily shifted painfully in her wheel chair. Sitting wasn't a very good position for her to be in, and the pain was making her feel sick.

'I have to go back to my room, JJ.' she said. 'Will you stay with Rossi?'

JJ promised she would, and Emily wheeled herself out of the room and to the nurses station, to find someone to take her back.

-0-0-0-

A few days later the three agents were lying side by side in the high dependency ward, although Dave was well enough to be moved, until they needed the bed, he was being allowed to stay. Reid was awake, and on strong pain killers, but Hotch was being kept under. He had been beaten around the head, and he had a swelling of the brain, and so until the swelling had gone down, he was in an artificially induced coma.

Reid asked that his bed be pushed up close to Aaron so that he could hold his hand. He reached out tentatively to him. Hotch was asleep, but as he took his hand, his fingers curled around his. Reid smiled. It was so peaceful, lying there, holding Aaron's hand. Reid felt relaxed and happy for the first time in a long time, and Aaron was by his side.

Hotch had IV drips in his arm, and tape holding his eyes closed. He looked so young and helpless lying there, a bandage around his head, that Reid wanted to slide his body across into his bed. But he didn't. It would have been taking advantage of him.

-0-0-0-

It was only when Hotch was released from his coma that the doctors could be sure that there was no brain damage. He had been severely beaten, and permanent damage was a possibility. They stopped the drugs on the seventh day, and Dave and Spencer watched anxiously, as the nurse peeled back the tape that was holding his eyes closed.

Hotch blinked a few timed against the bright hospital light. He was confused, not knowing where he was. He gripped Reid's hand tight as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He still couldn't speak with the tube in his throat, but he turned his head towards Reid, and his eyes shone with life.

'He's going to be ok.' Reid said. 'He has life in his eyes.'

'The fact that he woke up so quickly is a good sign.' the doctor said, smiling. He looked down at Hotch.

'Can you tell me your name?'

'Aaron...... Hotchner.' he said softly

'Do you know where you are?' he asked.

'Hospital.' Hotch replied.

'Very good. Now your friends are here with you, Aaron, but don't get too excited. You are in a very fragile condition. Take it easy, or we will have to induce a coma again for you to recover.'

Hotch nodded very slowly. It hurt to move his head too quickly. And he smiled a weak smile with the tube still in his throat.

-0-0-0-

The following week, Dave was pronounced fit enough to go home, but not well enough to return to work. Strauss had disbanded the team temporarily, and Dave called into the office to tell her how the other's were. Emily was walking now with crutches, and she was in the bull pen doing paperwork. JJ was sorting papers and telephoning request replies, explaining why the BAU couldn't help them. Morgan was doing paperwork, but it wasn't enough to form a team.

Dave asked Strauss if he could return and work some cases, but she refused, saying that if the doctors had said he wasn't fit, then he wasn't.

It was very frustrating. He spent most of his time at Reid and Aaron's bedside. They were both fully awake now, and Aaron was breathing on his own. Reid spent most nights lying at the edge of his bed with his arms around Aaron.

Aaron was confused by this at first.

Reid gently touched him, his arm around his waist. Aaron held his breath, wondering what Reid was doing. He turned over so that he was facing him.

'It's ok, Aaron. I just want to feel you close. I almost lost you, and I don't want you apart from me again.'

'Do you...... love me, Spencer?'

'Yes. I have for a long time, Aaron.' Reid said softly.

'Oh Spencer.............I can't love you back, I am so sorry. You are special to me, but I can't love you like that.'

Reid's eyes filled with tears. 'I know, Aaron.' he said. 'I don't want to make you do something you don't want to. But if you will just let me hold you, I will be happy with that.'

'But I feel that I am leading you on, Spencer. I can't do it. It wouldn't be fair.'

'Please, Aaron. I just want to feel close to you.'

Aaron touched Reid's cheek with the back of his hand, wiping away the tears that were falling.

'Ok, I would like you to.'

Aaron moved to the edge of his bed, and Reid put his arm around him. Aaron reached out and touched his hair, and the two men went to sleep in each other's arms.

This is how they slept each night from then on, until the day that the doctor said they could go home.

**THE END**

**A/N The sequel will address the feelings these two wonderful men have for each other.  
And what about Dave? Where will he fit in?  
The next story is called PAYMENT. Please review if you have time.  
Aggie xx**


End file.
